Jeff Papenfus, 44,Greenville entrepreneur, adventure racer and member of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, was riding near Old Fort, N.C., in McDowell County when he fell into an embankment, according to postings on adventure racing forums.

According to friends' postings, Papenfus had just finished a training ride on Curtis Creek Road with two other riders just after noon on Saturday. The bikers were descending through Star Gap back to their vehicle. Derek Zimmerman had ridden ahead of Papenfus and Elizabeth Morse, when Papenfus fell.

Zimmerman said he waited about 20 minutes for Papenfus and Morse to get to the car.

"I was about ready to ride back up the hill and see where they were, see if something happened, but that's when the sirens came and that's when everyone showed up," he said.

While performing CPR and calling 911, Morse was stung by yellow jackets dozens of times.

"They brought her out and she had been stung, like, 100 times," Zimmerman said.

EMS Director William Kehler said the EMS crew were called to Jarretts Creek Access off of Curtis Creek Road.

McDowell County Search and Rescue, EMS and the McDowell County Sheriff's Department all responded to the call for help.

"He had run into a hive and that he had been stung," Zimmerman said. "They said it was, like, hundreds of times."

Papenfus died at the scene. Zimmerman said in an online posting that Papenfus likely died of a neck injury, not from being stung, according to EMS crew members he spoke to.

"He had run into a hive and he had been stung, and I guess they found out later that he had actually slid off into the bushes," Zimmerman said.

As of Monday afternoon, there was no official word on the cause of Papenfus' death. The Department of Natural Resources is continuing to investigate.

Morse was treated at the scene and was transported to a hospital. Several postings said that her actions attempting to revive Papenfus while being stung dozens of times were "heroic."

Papenfus described himself online as an "entrepreneur and adventurer." He was a member of Team GLR Adventure Racing ( Go Long Racing). Papenfus was co-founder of go-greenevents.com an online company providing web infrastructure and maintenance to small businesses.

Papenfus leaves behind his wife, Lisa. Many online forum postings encouraged support and prayers for his widow.

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